GOLDFEDER TO GOV: ‘REMEMBER SENIORS’:

Just as Governor Andrew Cuomo sprung his new tax and finance plan in Albany about a week and a half ago, Assemblymember Phil Goldfeder (D–Rockaways) sent him a little note reminding him to fully fund the federally-funded programs that aid seniors and fund local senior centers.

Goldfeder said New York state gets about $103 million in title XX funds for seniors from Washington, covering adult protective services and domestic violence programs. Other discretionary funding is earmarked for senior-center operations, the freshman lawmaker said.

Goldfeder reminded the governor that earlier this year, he “proposed to completely eliminate discretionary funding”, but the state legislature restored more than $20 million, without which 105 city senior centers would have been forced to close their doors.

Goldfeder, who previously worked on U.S. Senator Charles Schumer’s staff, said he was aware that “our state faces another difficult budget” in a few months, with a projected $3.5 billion budget gap.

But again he pleaded, “Don’t cut funding for our senior centers.”

He added: “The seniors in Southern Queens depend on the vital [federal] funding to keep their centers open…such essential centers like CCNS Seaside, Howard Beach Senior Center and Young Israel Wavecrest Bayswater Senior League could potentially be placed on the chopping block again…”